Spot of Tea: Yogi Ginger Tea

Looking back on my early tea drinking days, it's clear that I was a total noob. I took my tea, regardless of type, morning, noon, or night, loaded with milk and sugar. But since then, I've come to appreciate the dry astringency of Scottish Breakfast Tea and the nutty roundness of Genmaicha.

The simple act of getting older is mostly to credit for my change in habits, but I did have a crutch during my transitional phase: Yogi teas. These teas are the most naturally sweet of any I've tried, thanks to the inclusion of licorice root in many of their blends. I recently bought their Ginger tea (having long been a fan of the Lemon Ginger) because I wanted more pure ginger flavor and I'm a sucker for the positive messages on their bags.

A quick look on the box would have showed me that in addition to ginger root, the ginger tea includes lemongrass, licorice root, peppermint leaf, and black pepper. Luckily I'm an impulse shopper because, though lacking the intense ginger flavor of my dreams, this is definitely an enjoyable tea.

The ginger keeps a slight lead in flavor dominance, though almost equally apparent are the lemongrass, with its pop of citrus, and the peppermint, which imparts the discernible whisper of menthol. Like most other Yogi teas, there is also a vague sweetness. Overall it's a bit of a Southeast Asian flavor melange, which isn't a bad thing.

So no, this is not going to end my quest for the perfect ginger tea, but it will satisfy for a post dinner, caffeine free cup. The box claims it "improves digestion", after all.